Earth-Colored Tricholoma is a little-known edible mushroom, consumed boiled (cooked for about 15 minutes), salted, and pickled. It grows: in August-September, in coniferous and deciduous forests (often with pines), in plantations, in shrubs, in sparse grass, in groups, rarely.
Cap: 4-7 cm in diameter, initially bell-shaped, then spread out, thin-fleshed, with a cracked edge. Matte, gray, brownish-gray, covered with black-fibrous scales, sometimes with a lighter edge. Gills: frequent, attached or toothed, broad, often irregularly edged in mature mushrooms, light, grayish. Stem: 3-6 cm long and 1-1.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical or club-shaped, fine-fibrous, solid, then hollow. Flesh: thin, brittle, with a mild floury odor, white then grayish, sharp-tasting.
Tricholomas are very tasty mushrooms. Before cooking, it is advisable to remove the skin from the cap and thoroughly rinse them under running water, or change the water several times. This is because they grow on sand, and tiny sand particles get lodged in every crevice between the gills. This species of mushroom can be consumed in any form. They can be fried, boiled, pickled, or salted. However, before any preparation, they must be briefly boiled (at least 15-20 minutes) and the water discarded.
Raw consumption of these mushrooms is not recommended, as it may cause stomach upset. Interestingly, in some countries, tricholomas (especially purple ones) are classified as poisonous mushrooms. However, this is not true. In the worst case, they can be considered conditionally edible, as minimal heat treatment ensures safe consumption.
In addition to being beneficial (rich in vitamin B group), tricholomas have medicinal properties. They are used, in particular, in the production of certain antibiotics effective against tuberculosis bacilli.
